3 Italian carabinieri killed in apparently deliberate farmhouse explosion

Three carabinieri militarized police officers were killed and another 13 other carabinieri and police officers were injured in an explosion as law enforcement carried out an eviction near the northeastern Italian city of Verona early Tuesday, authorities said.

Two middle-aged brothers and a sister were detained in connection to the explosion in the town of Castel d’Azzano, 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest Verona, police said.

“While our carabinieri were carrying out a judicial order, they were hit by an intentional explosion of a gas tank,’’ Verona’s carabinieri commander, Col. Claudio Pagano, told Sky TG24. He called it “an absolutely crazy gesture. “

The two-story farmhouse had been filled with gas, and the explosion was set off when authorities opened the door, regional governor Luca Zaia told Sky TG24.

It was the second time authorities attempted to evict the siblings, who had occupied the abandoned structure about a year ago. Another eviction attempt was thwarted last year when the siblings threatened to blow the house up, Zaia said.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto each expressed their condolences for the deaths of the carabinieri, part of a national militarized police force that plays a central law enforcement role in Italy.